URGENT - Please help save Early Intervention

Please take 10 seconds to visit www.AgenciesForChildrensTherapyServices.org. Enter your address and the site will send letters to your representatives urging them to save Early Intervention from changes that will negatively affect agencies and the children that they serve.
Please forward this to your friends, colleagues, families, and clients. Urge them to take 10 seconds to preserve Early Intervention for the children who benefit from these important services.

Articles and Sites

We've been finding more and more information on Twitter! Follow us by going to www.twitter.com/cktherapy. We retweet the best findings and also share some highlights on facebook. You can find us there by going to www.facebook.com/cooperkidstherapy.

Here are some recent finds:

Via Apraxia_Kids on Twitter: Tech Matrix - Find educational & assistive technology products for kids with special needs http://tinyurl.com/27bjzbs

Via Apraxia_Kids on Twitter: Parents & teachers often tell children to pay attention, what if your child’s brain doesn’t know how to listen? http://tinyurl.com/2eh5dkp

Via @Reuters_Health on Twitter: Pre-term babies face lifetime lung trouble: study http://link.reuters.com/veg98j

Via @Apraxia_KIDS on Twitter: Speech disorder in kids with Down's syndrome MAY NOT BE simply due to "cognitive delay" http://tinyurl.com/2b979o2

Childhood Lead Poisoning, a Stubborn Nemesis: NYT http://tinyurl.com/25wu46h

Article re: Autism and picky eating

Interesting article can be found here titled "Nutritional Risks of Picky Eating May be Higher in Autism."

Inspiration and Insight

Looking for something new to do in your sessions? Check out this blog written by an Early Intervention Speech Therapist in Pennsylvania. She's a great writer and very passionate about what she does and the children she treats. Includes some wonderful ideas for activities to do during your sessions as well as insights into the "life" of an EI therapist.

NYTimes article: Metal Shavings From Swings a Danger to Children With Autism

Please read this article - something to be on the lookout for when using swings for autistic children. Let your families know as well!

EI Rates might be cut - MORE URGENT THAN EVER!

TAKE A MOMENT TO STAND UP FOR EARLY INTERVENTION!

MORE URGENT THAN EVER!! The DOH in Albany has indicated that they are NOT BUDGING and plan to pass proposed regulations that would drastically cut EI rates, allow para-professionals to replace Special Instructors, and force EI agencies to bill Medicaid directly.

Please visit www.AgenciesForChildrensTherapyServices.org. Encourage your friends, family members, and the families for whom you provide to visit as well - one button emails ALL decision makers. Stand up for EI!!!!

KEEP E-MAILING - Let Albany know that this is unacceptable!

Spread the word!! Find Cooper Kids Therapy on Facebook and become a fan - let all of your Facebook friends know how important this is to you! Encourage them to email decision makers with one click! Share our posts on your profile. The more people who see this and email - THE BETTER!!

Follow us on Twitter - @cktherapy. Retweet our announcements encouraging people to stand up for EI! Get your followers involved!

Visit our blog cooperkidstherapy.blogspot.com - forward the link to your entire address book. Encourage everyone you know to take a stand!

Don't let New York's at-risk children down. Don't let your rates be reduced!!! Let the politicians know how you feel - stand up for EI!

URGENT: The Governor's Budget Proposals and Rules changes from DOH severely threaten services to children in the Early Intervention Program. Among the most detrimental changes are RATE CUTS for services and CO-PAYMENTS for parents. NOW is the time to act!

There is ONE SIMPLE and POWERFUL STEP you can take of sending... an e-mail to ALL decision-makers in Albany by visiting www.AgenciesForChildrensTherapyServices.org. Please take this action yourself, and also urge ALL of the families you serve, as well as ALL of your own friends and families to visit www.AgenciesForChildrensTherapyServices.org to be heard in Albany with ONE SIMPLE STEP.

We must partner to problem-solve, and now is the time for action to support children in Early Intervention.